Linked my Rootsmagic to FamilySearch

I finally decided to take advantage of one of the features of my Rootsmagic 7 software and link my genealogy database with FamilySearch.  I'd read the helpful posts Randy Seaver had written about using the software with FamilySearch's Family Tree and am eager to see what online collaboration brings to my database.

The first step was to log into FamilySearch with my free account and then have RootsMagic do an auto-match to find matches between my database and the online database.  My database is quite large, as it contains not only my ancestors, but Eileen's and Corinne's as well as unconnected Lemaster family members.  Of the over 31,000 names in the file, RootsMagic matched 20,694 with FamilySearch.

Now that I've synched the two databases, FamilySearch has gone behind the scenes and notified me that it has new information on over 3000 of my people.  These would be hints to documents in their databases.  My next step is to start going through these hints and seeing what information they find, as well as sharing information from my database to the online tree at FamilySearch.

I already have a small tree online at Ancestry, but am looking forward to using the free tree at FamilySearch, as many of my contacts don't have an Ancestry subscription.

Directors of Southwestern Alexandria Telephone Company, 1918

"Telephone Officers," announcement, Alexandria Times-Tribune, 8 January 1918; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 29 March 2015).

Telephone Officers -

M.E. Blacklidge has been elected president of the Southwestern Alexandria Farmers Telephone Co. and James Wright, secretary, and Robert Thurston, treasurer.  The directors are: Virgil Wright, Walter Davis, Robert Thurston, James Wright and M.E. Blacklidge.  The company maintains a party line in the country southwest of Alexandria.

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My maternal great-grandfather, Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972)was listed as the director of the Southwestern Alexandria Farmers Telephone Co., along with his uncle, James Wright.

My folks have a copy of a stock certificate for this company.  It would be interesting to find out more about it and see how it fared.  I did find an earlier article about its' formation in 1908.

Alexandria Times-Tribune, 17 Apr 1908, page 4

TELEPHONE COMPANY

Will Connect Its Lines With Those of Alexandria Exchange

The members the Southwestern Alexandria telephone Co., met last evening at Andrew Berg's and selected the following directors to serve for one year: James Wright, Andrew Berg, Jordan Reeves, Lawrence Hollowell and M.E. Blacklidge.  The company expects to have the line connected with the D. and M. lines at Alexandria and in operation by May 1st with the following subscribers Thomas and R.G. Ellis, Jordon Reeves, James Edward and Joseph Wright, Andrew Berg, Wm. Tennell, Warren Stephenson, M.E. Blacklidge, Noah Whetsel, Ed. Fuller, A.M. Peck, Johnson Maynard and T.G. May.

Surname Saturday : Calmbach

The CALMBACH surname is in my paternal line.  The origins of the surname are German.

Stories and history :

Ahnentafel #  2807 : Magdalena Calmbach (1640-1722). Magdalena was born November 22, 1640, probably in Würrtemberg.  She married Anton Schwartz (1637-1722) in 1663.  Anton was born August 19, 1637 in Egenhausen, Württemberg.  He died January 1, 1722 in Egenhausen, Württemberg.  Magdalena died January 25, 1722 in Egenhausen, Württemberg.

Ahnentafel # 5614 : Hans Calmbach (c1617-1666).  Hans was born circa 1617.  He married Christina _________ before 1640.  Christina was born circa 1617.  Hans died November 5, 1666.

Related blog posts :

• Cousin Bait : Calmbach

• Today in My Database : Magdalena Calmbach (b. November 22, 1640)

Surname Saturday – create a post in which you discuss a surname and mention its origins, its geographical location(s) and how it fits into your genealogy research. Surname Saturday is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.